Dayframe for Android Adds Chromecast Support for Lovely Slideshows on Bigger Screens

Most of the Chromecast enabled apps Google okayed prior to the official release were geared toward streaming video or audio, but half the fun of turning all developers loose on the streaming API is seeing what interesting things they come up with. Such is the case with Dayframe, an app that came out a while back with the intention to turn your Android device into a super-powerful photoframe. Now it has Chromecast support so you can pipe some really lovely slideshows over to your TV via the Chromecast.

Most of the Chromecast enabled apps Google okayed prior to the official release were geared toward streaming video or audio, but half the fun of turning all developers loose on the streaming API is seeing what interesting things they come up with. Such is the case with Dayframe, an app that came out a while back with the intention of turning your Android device into a super-powerful photoframe. Now it has Chromecast support so you can pipe some really lovely slideshows over to your TV via Google's streaming accessory.

When you open the app, Dayframe allows you to connect to the online account where you store most of your images. It has options for the likes of Google+, Dropbox, and Facebook. The images Dayframe pulls from these sources are integrated as streams in the app. You can also select areas of interest and Dayframe will suggest some public streams for you. Of course, it also supports local content on your device.

The main UI is a grid of images from your currently selected source. You can jump between feeds in the right side slide-out panel. On the left is a standard Android navigation menu that gives you access to a plethora of settings including timers, a playlist manager, and individual settings for your photo sources.

When your feeds are organized and the playlist is golden, just tap the start button and you get a neat full-screen slideshow. On Android 4.4 devices this uses immersive mode so there is no system UI visible—it's just the images and (optional) HUD. It's nice that you can choose what information is superimposed on the slideshow, and that Dayframe uses a cool panning effect rather than just fit the image to your screen. You can change that behavior if you prefer black bars, and it might actually be preferable if you're using a low-resolution feed.

The Chromecast button is right up top as with most Chromecast-enabled apps. Activating it will send the feed to your Chromecast screen, allowing you to control playback on your device. The basic features of Dayframe are free, but it'll cost $2.99 via an in-app purchase to unlock Chromecast support, timers, and a few other features. It's certainly worth that if you need a very polished slideshow app.

About the Author

Ryan Whitwam is a freelance tech/science writer and fan of all things electronic. This long-time skeptic and former research scientist is a lover of the em dash and a defender of the Oxford comma. He also writes for Geek.com and ExtremeTech.
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